The Wolf Within
by it'sadamnshame
Summary: Bella moves back to Forks, except this time, with a few new surprises. Not everything is as it once was.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N So here we go, my first time writing a supernatural story. Hope you like it.**

**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 1 - Home Is Where The Wolf Is**

Winter . . . a time when snow masks the dirt, when animals go to sleep, when death makes way for new life. I've always liked winter. I've always liked how blue it made the sky look, how it made the air seem fresher. The feel of winter is almost doubled here, in Forks.

_*Ding*_

"Attention all passengers, please return to your seats, and fasten your safety belts. We will be starting our descent to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Thank you for choosing United Airlines. We hope you fly with us again."

I sat up, buckled the seatbelt, and flipped open the shade to the window and looked out to the city below. Even from up here I can tell the streets are covered with slush, instead of the clean, soft, fluffy snow I miss so much.

When the plane landed and docked, I grabbed my backpack from the overhead and squished my way through the crowd to the baggage claim, where I waited an hour for my one suitcase. Typical. Once that was done, I went outside to the lane and saw a chief police cruiser with the man himself leaning against it.

"Dad."

"You don't have to call me that you know, Bells." Charlie said as he pushed off of the cruiser and came over to me with his arms inviting me in for a hug.

"Nothing changes, Dad." I say as I hug him tightly.

I pulled away to get a good look at him as he did the same to me. He didn't change much since I saw him in Phoenix during the summer, just a few more grey hairs. I'm a bit taller than him now, maybe an inch or two, but Charlie still has his mustache, he still has laugh lines around his mouth, and he still has crinkles at the end of his eyes. Only now, his mouth was slightly downturned and his eyes held sadness.

"Sure. Here let me get this in the trunk. You go ahead and hop in." Charlie grumbled as he took my suitcase and backpack from me. I got into the passenger seat, sent a text to my mother letting her know I was picked-up, and waited for Charlie.

"How was your flight?" Charlie asked.

"It wasn't bad, I napped a little."

"You could nap some more if you want, it's a bit of a drive," He said.

"No, Dad, we need to talk," I said as I turned in my seat to face him. I knew he hated talking about things, I did too, but we needed to do this.

Charlie sighed, "Alright, guess I'm kind of trapped in here with you anyways."

I chuckled weakly at his attempt at humor. I think it was more out of nervousness though.

"So, _her_, huh?" Charlie tried. Guess I was going to have to start this.

"I'm sorry Dad, I-"

"It's not your fault Bella, don't you ever for one second think it is. What _she_ did is terrible, but one good thing came out of it, and that's you."

"Thanks Dad. So, what's he like?" I could tell this was painful for him, but we needed to talk about this, and we haven't even gotten to the worst part yet.

"Well, he's a good guy, besides the business with your mother, but he has his head on straight. He's very big into family and tradition and he has a son."

"A son? Weird." I had always been an only child, having a brother would indeed be weird.

"What's his name?" I asked.

"Same as his father's, er, _your_ father's. Quil." Charlie said, his voice putting a harsh emphasis on the word "father".

"Hm, how old is he?"

"About a year younger than you. He's, uh, he's like you, you know, um-"

"He turns into a wolf the size of a horse?" I say with a rise of my brow.

"Er, yea, that. How is all that?" Charlie said awkwardly.

"It's fine, I went through a huge growth spurt, as you can see. I eat enough to feed a family of six, for each meal, without gaining a pound. I have a temperature of about 108 degrees, don't worry that's normal. I'm a lot stronger and, best of all, I'm not clumsy anymore."

"So I guess that means we'll have to go grocery shopping, huh?" Charlie said with a lighter tone.

"Oh for sure, just canned beans and beer won't cut it anymore." I smirked, obviously that was all the talking we were going to do.

Charlie laughed at that and we sat in a comfortable silence for the rest of the ride. Eventually, we arrived in Forks.

"After you're all settled in, the council wants to talk to you down at the Rez." Charlie said as he pulled up to the house.

"So tomorrow then?" I asked, there wasn't much settling in I could do anyways.

"Sure. Oh I took care of everything over at the high school. You start Monday."

"Great." I mumbled. That's just what I needed right now, schoolwork and teenagers.

"Since I won't be able to drive you to school in the morning, I got you something. Come 'round the side here." Charlie said as he led me around the house. There waiting for us was a black '98 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

"It's not much, but with this weather and all-"

"Thanks, Dad, really. I love it." I said with a smile and I really did.

"Yea, Billy's kid is pretty good with cars and he gave this to me for a good price. Anyways, I'm going to put your stuff in your room." Charlie said as he made his way back to the house.

"Dad, is it ok if I go for a run, get to know my surroundings a bit?"

"A run, in this weather?" He asked incredulously. I responded with an eyebrow raise and my hands on my hips.

"Oh right, that'll take some getting used to. Go ahead, but don't stay out to long, and be back before it gets dark."

"Thanks." I said as I grabbed my backpack, ran inside, and quickly changed into shorts and a t-shirt. I also took a smaller bag with me and headed into the back yard.

"Do you mind if I, uh, see you?" Charlie asked as he followed me out back.

"It's fine, if you think you can handle it. Let me just go behind this tree over here." I went behind the tree, undressed, put my clothes into my small bag, and fastened the bag around my thy.

I learned to always take clothes with me when I shift, especially after some close calls back in Phoenix. Running naked through cacti and other desert plants and animals is not a fun time let me tell you.

I shifted then. It was easy now. I practiced all summer after my first shift. I would usually do so at night, my dark brown coat making me practically invisible in the dark. I walked out from behind the tree and looked at my Dad with a whine.

"Wow," was all Charlie said, then again, he was never one for words.

I walked over to him slowly and bumped his shoulder with my nose. He placed his hand on my neck and rubbed.

"I'm sorry, Bells." Charlie said, sounding like he wanted to cry.

I whined again, trying to tell him it was all right, that I was all right. I mean, I didn't plan on my life turning out like this, who would? But, I choose to see it as more of a blessing then a curse.

"Alright, kid, go for your run," Charlie said with a sniff. I gave him a lick, to which he laughed at, and sprinted off into the forest.

I ran around, not paying attention to where I was going. I just really let go and it felt nice to stretch my legs. I could run for days. I loved the feel of it, the wind flowing past me, the exertion, the adrenaline.

Suddenly, a strange smell hit me. It smelled like vanilla, cinnamon, and, oddly enough, coffee. I stopped running and realized I was in a meadow. The snow here was so white and untouched and this whole area held the wonderful smell. It was beautiful.

I rolled around in the snow for a bit and when I got bored with that, I curled up on the ground and looked around the meadow.

Six months ago, I was normal. I was clumsy and pale and weak. Six months ago I was Charlie's daughter. I remember that day, when everything changed.

I was walking downtown in Phoenix. I had gone to the library for the day and I had lost track of time. It was dark. On my way to the bus stop, something happened. Next thing I knew, I was in the desert with fur and paws. It took me all night to shift back. Nearly gave my mother a heart attack when I got home and told her the whole story, not quite believing it myself. Her reaction was not what I expected.

She told me, first, not to be afraid of what happened. Then she told me this story about the Quileute people. There weren't a lot of details she could remember, but what I got from it was that I could shift into a huge wolf and that there were other people who could too.

Then she told me Charlie wasn't my father. . .

I didn't want to believe it, I refused to, but the fact that I could shift was proof I wasn't his daughter. I was the daughter of a man named Quil Ateara. My mother was angry at Charlie one night, went to a bar, got really drunk, and slept with Quil. That's the abridged version of it. It hurts to think of the details.

She called Charlie out to Phoenix to tell him everything. I never saw my dad so broken. I couldn't stand to be home with my mother so I suggested I move in with Dad. She agreed, thinking it would be better for me with all the land out here, thinking it would be better to know other shifters, thinking it would be better to meet my real father.

I saw it was getting dark, so I broke myself out of my thoughts and sprinted home. I ran upstairs, not hungry after those memories, got ready for bed and went to sleep.

Six months ago, I was human.

Now, I'm a wolf.

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**A/N Alright so that's that, hope you like it. I'll be back soon with an update.**

**Until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Well here you go, an update just for you.**

**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 2 - The Council**

I pulled up to the address my dad gave me. It was the house of one of Charlie's friends, Billy, who is also the current Chief of the Quileute tribe, apparently. Charlie reassured me he would be coming here after work. Well, at least I know I have back up.

"Ah, Bella, come in," said the man who answered the door.

I walked into a living room and was directed to the kitchen, where five people sat at a table. One was sitting with his arms crossed, his eyes kept shifting around, and he had an angry expression. He was wearing a black, leather jacket with a white v-neck t-shirt underneath it, with jeans and black combat boots. I know that sounds like a greaser, but he had more of a weathered, traveler look.

The man beside him was wearing a a grey tank with a camo jacket over it, also with jeans and had a trucker cap on. He was sitting with more of a casual feel, as if his thoughts were elsewhere.

The woman had a kind look to her, but also a look of tiredness, like world-weary. It was obvious she was a mother. She was wearing a dark brown wrapped sweater with dark jeans and black boots.

The next guy had short, black, fussed hair, much unlike the others. He and another man were the only two without long, straight hair. His eyes were a very light hazel, that held much seriousness, but they also had a hint of worry. He was wearing a suit actually. It was a black three-piece suit, with a grey vest and matching tie. The man was quite built, not as much as the man next to him, but it was still there. He had broad shoulders, a strong jaw with a dark beard covering it and underneath his nose, and he just gave off an overall feeling of strength.

Sitting next to this man, was a very stubborn looking guy. Young too, compared to the others. I could almost see his muscles rippling underneath his shirt. He seemed constantly on edge and it was quite off-putting to look at him. Then lastly, there's the man who opened the door. He was in a wheel chair, but even so, held a sternness and wisdom unlike any of the other people here.

"Let me introduce you to the council. This is Alex Lahote, Bronson Cameron, Sue Clearwater, Quil Ateara Sr., Sam Uley, and myself. I'm Billy Black." Billy said.

I tensed at the mention of Quil. At least now I know who he is.

"Please, take a seat," said Sue. I sat in the only available chair, already uncomfortable under their gaze.

"So, Bella, you're a shifter." Sue started.

"Don't tell me you brought me all the way out here to ask me that? You could have just called," I laughed nervously while the rest of them stayed expressionless. Tough crowd.

"What do you know about our people, Bella?" she asked.

"Well, my mom gave me a general rundown. The Quileute ancestors-"

"_Our _ancestors, Bella." Billy interrupted.

"Er, yea, _our _ancestors faced a great enemy so the tribe gods gave them the power to turn into horse-sized wolves. So now, descendants of those ancestors can also turn into huge ass wolves. Uh, that's about the gist of it." And it really was, almost word-for-word.

"Oh brother," the one named Alex grumbled.

"Alex," Sue shushed.

"Well, there's a bit more to it then that, Bella. I guess I'll start with the whole 'great enemy' thing. The great enemy was, and unfortunately still is, vampires," said Billy.

"You know, for a split second, I almost scoffed at that, but considering what I am, it doesn't seem so far fetched that vampires are real."

"We were being slaughtered by them, so the gods granted us this power to protect our people. You're right when you said it's passed down by lineage, but that power sometimes stays asleep." Billy continued.

"Asleep?" I asked.

"Yes, vampires awaken our power. When a vampire is near, our power awakens to protect our people."

"So why can I shift? Are there others?"

"We have a whole pack here, I'm the Alpha. There is a group of vampires in Forks." Sam said.

"What? In Forks? We gotta do something. Why are you just sitting there?"

"Bella, listen, these vampires are different then what you think." Sue said, calming me.

"How so?"

"They don't drink blood, well not human blood. They drink animal blood." Billy answered.

"So they don't kill people. Alright, what about the sun thing?"

"Those pansies fuckin' sparkle! It would be a blessing if they actually did burn in sunlight. Make the kids' job a whole fuckin' easier." Alex shouted.

"Alex, for gods sake, calm down!" Sue reprimanded.

"Yea, jeez Al don't worry about it. The kids are fine." Bronson added.

"Anyways, to answer your question. We don't know specifically why your power was awakened. The only possible answer is that a vampire must have been around." Billy said.

"Holy shit. A vampire, in Phoenix."

"Well, try not to dwell on it too much. We have more to talk about." Billy said.

"Like your pack duties," said Sam quickly.

"Sam, she just got-"

"I know, I'll just give her the details, then you can decide what to do with her." Sam interrupted Sue.

"So let's start with the pack. As I said, I'm the Alpha. Jacob, Billy's son, is my second-in-command. That's called a Beta. Alex's son, Paul, is my third, the Delta. There's my half-brother, Embry Call, Bronson's son, Jared, and Quil's son, Quil Jr. There are also Sue's kids, Leah and Seth. And, lastly, you. We have a schedule for patrolling the area. If you decide to help out, you'll be added to that schedule. Basically, we watch the perimeter for any vampires."

"Wow, that's a lot of wolves." I said, surprised.

"That's not even counting our mates." Sam said.

"Mates?"

"Yes, it's a person a wolf imprints on."

"Still lost here, Sam." I said.

"Imprinting is when someone finds their other half. Your entire being revolves around this person. We cannot live without our imprint and, upon meeting them, we cannot stay away from our imprint. We are whatever our imprint needs."

"So, I take it you've imprinted?" I asked.

"Yes. When I met my mate, Emily, nothing else mattered, but her. It was like I wasn't fully living before." Sam said with a kind of faraway look in his eye.

"It's getting late, Charlie will be here soon. Bella, before he does get here, I must tell you something of the utmost importance." Billy hastily said.

"You must keep our existence and the existence of vampires a secret. Charlie knows of us, but he does not know about vampires. You cannot tell anyone our secret." Billy said seriously.

"I promise." I said.

"Good."

"Now, to the very serious question we have for you, Bella." Bronson said as if reminding everyone.

"Yes, that's right. Bella, I apologize, but it is a necessity we know." Billy said.

"Alright, what is it?"

"Who is your father?" Sue said quietly, I almost didn't hear her.

"Um, well, you see." I mumbled.

"I just heard a car pull up. Bella, we need the answer." Bronson said.

"Uh-"

"Dammit, just spit it out, kid." Alex shouted, slamming his fist on the table.

"Alex!" Sue said.

"Bella . . ." Billy pushed.

"It's Quil Ateara!" I shouted and immediately slapped my hand over my mouth.

"Hey Billy, you guys done interrogating my daughter yet?" Charlie announced, walking in the front door. All eyes were on Quil Sr. and no one had even acknowledged Charlie. I almost doubted they heard him.

"Guys?" Charlie asked. Setting down the cases of beer.

"Charlie, hey. You're early." Billy said, the first to snap out of it.

"Oh Charlie, I just remembered. I made some fish fry for you, let me get it." Sue got up and bustled around the kitchen, obviously glad for the interruption.

"Here, let me help you, Sue." Bronson offered.

"I'll just throw these in the fridge." Alex mumbled, grabbing the cases of beer.

"Charlie, come help me set up the living room." Billy said as he wheeled himself out of the kitchen.

"Bella." A voice said behind me. I looked over to a very shocked looking Quil Sr.

"A word," was all he said as he got up and slipped out the back door.

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**A/N I hope that wasn't boring for you. Just thought I'd try to get some information across.**

**Until next time!**


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